


My Friend, the Ruthless Killer

by NicktheHuman



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Pre-Despair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:14:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26340988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicktheHuman/pseuds/NicktheHuman
Summary: In another universe, what if Makoto had done more than just smile at Mukuro Ikusaba, and greeted her good morning? Surely such a small thing could not result in love, luck, and shenanigans with hamsters?Oh, but it can.
Relationships: Enoshima Junko & Ikusaba Mukuro, Ikusaba Mukuro/Naegi Makoto
Comments: 42
Kudos: 114





	1. Good Morning, Mukuro

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my humble, somewhat goofy AU. I hope you enjoy.

Makoto Naegi had to say, his first month at Hope's Peak had not really been what he had expected. He meant this in the best way though, especially when he remembered his initial fears of attending school with a ton of Ultimates. Other than the news reports of the taxi blowing up.

What really set his fears aside was quickly learning that these Ultimates, like most other teens, were a bunch of dorks. He also learned that, talents aside, these were other teenagers just like him and fell prey to the same sort of things he did.

He just wished they would realize it sometimes, too. 

Still, they had their abilities to fall back on for confidence. Makoto had no such thing, and other than randomly asserting himself when passionate, he had no confidence yet to reach out and become friends with everyone. 

Maybe because of this, so far class 78 seemed to keep to themselves. The only ones who seemed to have a gaggle of people around them at all times were the resident celebrities, Junko Enoshima and Sayaka Maizono. 

Sure, he was friends with Sayaka... and part of him wanted more, but so did the rest of the male student body. Sayaka had initially stayed close to him, the familiarity of someone she went to middle school with an anchor of comfort in the intimidating school. But her charm and smile made it easy for her to have a gaggle of friends within the week. While she was still friends with Makoto, he didn’t just want to sit and cling to her and get on her nerves. 

He had managed to get to class first today... due to the bad luck of having his alarm clock go off an hour early, and not noticing until he had arrived at the school. Still, he was watching his classmates trickle in. Some glanced in his direction but no one really said hi to him or anything. 

_Well, at least no one actively avoids me... unlike..._ He thought, his mind drifting to a conversation he’d overheard in the dining hall just the other day...  
\-------  
Makoto sat at a table next to Sayaka, but she was busy chatting with Sonia Nevermind and a few other girls from class 77b. Makoto had grown used to sitting there, listening to the girl talk in silence. He didn’t mind; it was better than eating alone. 

Teruteru Hanamura sat down next to him, but not for Makoto. He struck up a conversation with Leon on the other side of the table. 

“Hey, Kuwata, what’s the scoop on that girl sitting alone over there? She’s in your class, right?” Teruteru asked.

Makoto scooched to the side slightly; he knew well enough a nosebleed was coming. 

Leon looked over his shoulder, and grimaced. “Man, you don’t want anything to do with that chick.” 

“Oh, I assure you, I want everything to do with every chick. My loins aren’t picky.” 

Makoto set his food down for a second; he’d lost his appetite. 

“Dude, no way,” Yasuhiro laughed from next to Teruteru. “That’s Mukuro Ikusaba. She’s the Ultimate Soldier.” 

“Word is she’s got confirmed over one thousand kills with no injuries, ever,” Leon added. “She’d probably break your loins off and use it for target practice.” 

As they continued the conversation, Makoto’s eyes traveled over to Mukuro, sitting alone at a small circular table. Her eyes were fixated on her sister, Junko, as one would expect. Makoto wondered why she didn’t just sit with Junko, but apparently she only did that when summoned (or so Hifumi said).  
\-------  
Makoto shuddered. He was lucky in some sense; he wasn’t actively avoided by anyone, like Mukuro was. 

_That’s because she’s considered dangerous,_ he quipped to himself, dryly, _unlike me. I’m a pushover._

He shook himself. _Okay, Makoto. No more being a loner. Just smile and say good morning to the next person to come in. That’s the best way to make friends, right?_ It would be easy, as he was seated right next to the door. Everyone walked past him anyway!

He took a deep breath to prep himself. He could do it. 

The door opened, and Makoto built himself up, eagerly. 

And in walked Mukuro Ikusaba.

 _Just my luck,_ Makoto cursed under his breath. _Ultimate Lucky Student my ass._

Still... maybe that would make it easier. After all, Mukuro sat just behind him so she was already coming towards him. 

As Mukuro reached the front of his desk, he took a deep breath, put on his brightest smile, and said: “Good Mukuro, morning.”

_DAMN IT!_

Mukuro froze like a deer in the headlights. She could process the right angle to bounce a bullet off the fender of a 1972 Oldsmobile, but her brain needed to activate long-resting muscles to process someone speaking to her. Why would someone speak to her? The only person who saw her, the REAL her, was Junko. The pathetic, irrelevant tool that she was. 

She was beneath greeting.

So why?

Her head slowly tilted down towards Makoto, brow furrowing in obvious confusion. “I... what?”

Makoto breathed a sigh of relief. For a second, he thought she would punch him or something. “Oh... I said, good morning, Mukuro.” 

“Why?”

Alarms started going off in Makoto’s head. This was already not going as planned, and he began to wonder if he should just fake an illness to get out of this already bad day. “Y-you know, just being friendly,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Mukuro stared at him for a minute, gave him a small nod, and took her seat behind him. 

Makoto half expected her to grab his neck and snap it, or whisper something threatening in his ear. But about a minute later, he heard her small voice say, back to him, “Good morning, Makoto.” 

He had to fight the urge to turn back and gape at her. He grinned to himself. 

Triumphantly, he greeted the rest of his classmates as they entered as well, assured in his confidence.


	2. The Dark Deva and the Lucky Student

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You'd think telling someone good morning wouldn't have such bad consequences.

"Mr. Naegi, I didn't know you had a deathwish!" A loud and booming voice saying this snapped Makoto from his rice balls. But he relaxed as he looked up and saw it was just Hifumi using his serious voice.

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about," Makoto replied, brow furrowed. 

"Talking to Mukuro like it's nothing?" Yasuhiro scoffed from a few seats down. "I predict bad things in your future. I'm not even charging you for that fortune reading."

"She is kind of scary," Sayaka said, sitting next to Makoto. "That tattoo on her hand is from a PMC group, isn't it?"

"Fenrir."

Everyone turned to look at the end of the table. Kyoko, who never spoke at lunch, answered the question. "It's Fenrir. A highly feared Private Military Contractor." Her tone was very final, and it appeared she had no intention of elaborating further. 

“Wow... at our age? I can’t imagine being in wars as a teenager,” Sayaka muttered. 

“All I did was say good morning to her,” Makoto replied, scratching his chin, “I said good morning to everyone. I think you guys are taking it too far.”

His classmates all muttered, conceding is point. 

Chiaki, who was playing a 3DS a few seats down from Sayaka, muttered, “Maybe she’s a hidden character you have to unlock through some hidden inputs and unintuitive character flags.” 

Makoto pondered this as his eyes traveled over to Mukuro. As he did, Junko walked over, said something to her sister, and Mukuro silently stood up and followed her sister out of the dining hall. 

“It’s kind of weird how she always seems to follow around Junko though,” Leon observed. “You think Junko would be terrified of her.” 

“Her own sister?” Asahina laughed. “That seems a little far-fetched. I’m sure they love each other.” 

“You should be her friend, Makoto!” Sayaka suggested abruptly. 

“M-me?” He replied. “Why me?”

“You can make friends with her and see if she’s as scary as we think!” Sayaka smiled, conveniently ignoring his questions. “You’re the perfect person for it!” 

“Yeah!” Aoi agreed, “You just seem like the right fit!” 

Before long, the whole table seemed to agree that Makoto was the best person to befriend the Ultimate Soldier. His eyebrow twitched slightly, and he recalled the incident with the swan back in middle school. For better or worse, he spent the rest of the lunch in silence.   
\------  
“Hey, earth to Murder Slut, what’s your deal?” Junko snapped, impatiently. She had called her plain, mindless sister into the girl’s room to discuss plans, not to watch her space out like a moron.

“Hmm? Oh. Sorry, Junko,” Mukuro muttered. “I lost focus.”

“That’s not like you.” Junko replied, but her voice was empty of any concern that might usually accompany that sort of statement. “I need you at your most deadly, not any dumber than you already are. My plan is coming together, but I just need to put a few things in place.”

Mukuro nodded. “That’s fine. What would you have me do?” 

“You’re going to be the muscle, obviously,” Junko chuckled. “What else are you good for? I just need to figure out how to get all the pieces in order, and the Kamukura project needs to be completed. You just make sure no one gets in my way as I set it up. I can see it now... the Tragedy of Hope’s Peak.”

Mukuro allowed herself a faint smile. “I’m sure it will cause quite the despair among campus.”

Junko quivered. “I get chills just thinking about it. That’s why you need to make sure you stay focused. Can you do that? Can your stupid monkey brain handle that?”

“Of course. Anything for you, Junko.”

“Thatta girl,” Junko smirked. “And you make sure my homework gets done tonight.”

“Yes,” Mukuro replied, not meeting her gaze.

Junko’s eyes scanned her sister, as they scanned everything, constantly. It was a curse she couldn’t turn off. But she already knew; Mukuro’s distraction had a particular form. A boy. She just didn’t know who it was yet. And Junko was not one to let something as boring as high school affection get in the way of a carefully laid plan. It’d be as easy as blowing up a taxi (or as she liked to call it, Taxi Tuesday).  
\------  
Makoto felt mentally exhausted as the bell rang that day, releasing the students from class. He was happy to be free for the day, his uniform feeling particularly restrictive. 

His walk home was fairly short. Truth be told, it was something of a lonely trip. For whatever reason, he walked the opposite way from most of the other students, so he didn't have anyone to talk to. 

But it seemed like none of the Ultimates did that anyway. Some stayed behind for clubs or did work using their talent. He passed the nurses office and saw Mikan Tsumiki checking the supplies; as she usually did. He also knew there was an Ultimate Mechanic who used the shop class to tinker around or fix up teachers cars after school. And Aoi could almost always be found at the pool.

But all these students did these things independently. It was rare to see two of them together. Moreso, it sounds like some of the Ultimates didn’t even need to show up to class so long as they passed a practical exam. Obviously Makoto was going to go to class; what else would he do? 

As he stepped out of Hope’s Peak, the sunlight greeted his face, and the warmth made him sleepy. The lost hour of sleep must have been catching up to him. He stepped forward, but had to abruptly stop himself before his foot hit the ground.

There was a hamster there, squeaking up at him furiously.

“Oh!” He exclaimed, smiling. “Hey, little guy. Or girl I guess.”

He crouched down and extended a finger for the hamster to sniff. It did, and began running frantically in a circle. 

“Huh... did you get lost from one of the labs?” Makoto wondered aloud. “You seem pretty well-trained if you’re not just running away.”

It struck him that he’d never really heard of a trained hamster... but if one was going to be anywhere, it might as well be Hope’s Peak. He opened his palm to the hamster, seeing if it would accept. To his surprise, the hamster climbed into his palm for a ride. 

It also promptly peed in his hand. 

“Great. Ugh.” Makoto breathed. “Come on. Let’s see if we can find where you came from.” 

He began walking towards the gate, but the hamster squeaked furiously. 

“Hmm? Not that way?” Makoto asked. “Okay...”

Makoto turned and walked back into the school, looking around for... well, he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure where a hamster would come from. Maybe the administration office would have some ideas? “Where did you come from?” He asked the hamster in his palm.

The creature merely nibbled his thumb affectionately. 

“JUM-P!”

Makoto jumped in shock as a voice screamed at him from the end of the hall. A boy dressed in some odd ninja gear began charging towards him at breakneck speeds, and before Makoto could blink, the boy had snagged the hamster from Makoto’s palm. 

“Oh, was that your hamster?” Makoto asked, relieved.

“FOOL!” The boy boomed, making Makoto jump again. “This is merely one of my Dark Devas of Destruction IN THE FORM of a hamster!” 

“I... what?”

“My Deva, are you harmed?”The boy asked the hamster. Makoto saw three other hamsters peeking out the boy’s scarf and garments. The hamster in his hand squealed happily.

“Impossible!” The boy grunted, looking up at Makoto. “It appears you possess the dark aura needed to impress the Devas.” 

Makoto blinked and looked around. This conversation was already completely over his head. “Dark aura? I just found your... deva outside and wanted to help it.”

“There is no mistaking that scent though.” The boy replied, seriously. “You have been marked and bonded by my Dark Deva. In a time of crisis, Jum-P will be there for you.”

“Oh, yeah, it peed in my hand.” Makoto said. “That’s um... cool. Anyway, I’m Makoto Naegi. I’m glad I was able to help.”

“Listen well fool!” The boy answered. “I shall say this once. I am Gundham Tanaka, future Supreme Overlord of the World! And...” Gundham pulled up his scarf, looking a little embarrassed. “Thank you. I was very worried about Jum-P.”

Makoto smiled. Gundham seemed a little weird, but he clearly loved animals, so how bad could he be? “No problem, Gundham. See you around.” 

Makoto stopped at the bathroom to wash his hand, and went home, exhausted from the day.


	3. Knife to Meet You!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junko learns that Makoto's title might be more than she expected.

“Hey, how’s my stinky brother the Ultimate Unlucky Student?” Komaru teased. 

“Kinda think your nickname for me is sticking, you dork,” Makoto replied, scratching his cheek. “A hamster peed on me today, and I got volunteered on a suicide mission.” He sat down at his desk to crack open his homework for the night, and noticed his sister hadn’t moved from his bed. “Don’t you have something better to do?”

“But I want to know more about Hope’s Peak! And this suicide mission.” She laughed. “And I finished it.” 

“Then you can help with mine,” Makoto groaned. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to get this done.”

“Fine fine, what do you trust me to do?” Komaru asked, sitting next to Makoto at his desk, eagerly. “I’ll do it before you get yourself killed.”

“Here’s some math review problems.” He sighed. “So I told you about all the Ultimate’s in my class - and don’t ask when I’m bringing Sayaka over. I’m pretty sure she has eyes for Leon.”

“Ew, the baseball guy?” Komaru stuck her tongue out. “That’s bad taste. But I guess maybe she doesn’t like short guys.” 

Makoto blushed. “Shut up! Ugh... anyway, yeah. Did I tell you about the Ultimate Soldier?”

“Not really. You told me one was the Ultimate Soldier, and that was it.” Komaru’s eyes widened. “Did you lose a bet and now you have to steal her panties?!”

“With my luck, I wouldn’t even enter a bet like that,” Makoto rolled his eyes. “No, but I was trying to make more friends, and I said good morning to her this morning. Everyone in the class decided I had a deathwish, and I should try and befriend her to see if she’s as crazy and murderous as they all think she is.”

“Psh. That’s all?” Komaru laughed. “You’re perfect for that. You’ll be fine.”

Makoto stared her for a moment. _Why does everyone think I’m perfect for that?_  
\------  
The next morning wasn’t really any better for Makoto Naegi; this time his alarm was late by thirty minutes. Rushing through his morning routine, he found himself flying out the door, still later than he would have liked. He ran as fast he could towards Hope’s Peak, determined not to be late... even though he wasn’t actually required to be in class. 

Hell, Byakuya hadn’t even bothered to show up after the first day, and the rest of the attendance was rather sporadic. 

He crashed through the door to his classroom just in time though, narrowly avoiding the bell. As he exhaled and walked to his desk he saw Mukuro Ikusaba at the desk behind his. He was a bit surprised; she only showed up for class a handful of times. Her eyes met his, and she looked away quickly, fidgeting her hands. Her eyes kept darting towards him and away just as quickly. 

_Did I... do something? She looks uncomfortable._ He wondered. 

And whenever anyone was uncomfortable, he did what he would always do. He gave her a friendly smile and said, “Good morning, Mukuro.”

To his relief, a small smile spread across the soldier’s face and she relaxed slightly. She still did not meet his gaze, but she replied. “Good morning, Makoto.” 

Makoto sat down just as the bell rang. _I must have freaked her out by bursting in the room or something._

While Makoto was a little more observant that normal, he had failed to realize that the days Mukuro was there usually coincided with days Junko was NOT there. And today, both sisters were there.

The exchange did not go unnoticed by Junko Enoshima. She watched the whole thing, and smirked. So that was the reason her sister had insisted on showing up to class that day.

Oh, such despair she could wring from the two.  
\------  
Makoto felt strangely good that day as he walked into the dining hall. He looked towards his usual table to see Sayaka wave at him. 

Still, he had a nagging feeling in his gut since that morning. If Mukuro seemed so happy to just get a good morning, maybe she was just lonely? What if the other’s in his class were right? Looking towards her table, he saw she wasn’t there. She was walking towards Junko.

He was a little disappointed, though he couldn’t place the feeling. 

Junko herself made a quick sweep of the lunchroom cafeteria and smirked. All the pieces were in place. From her bra, she produced a sunflower seed, and flicked it. It sailed over the head of an oblivious Gundham Tanaka - and more importantly, Jum-P - and landed right in Mukuro’s path. Jum-P leapt from Gundham’s scarf and landed right in the path of Mukuro’s combat boots.

Makoto, not nearly as observant, only saw the hamster in that path of the Ultimate Soldier. He gasped and took off running before even thinking. 

“MUKURO, NO!” He screamed and he charged at both of them.

Her combat training kicking in, she pulled the combat knife from the pocket she had sown into the hem of her skirt and whipped around to defend herself from the attacker.

Junko grinned, wickedly. If her plan worked, her sister murdered Makoto accidentally, giving in to more despair. Or even in the alternative, she would accidentally kill the hamster and look like a monster to the school, making her more withdrawn and filled with despair (and that much easier to keep under Junko’s thumb).

What Junko didn’t plan for, though, was that Makoto would trip over his own shoelaces, hit the floor of the cafeteria, missing Mukuro’s knife swipe, and grab Jum-P in his hands. Mukuro would stumble backwards over Makoto and fall on her butt as well.

“Owwww....” Makoto groaned. He opened his hands to see a shaken Jum-P safe and sound, happily munching away on a seed. “Oh good... you’re okay.” 

Mukuro sprang up and looked around, bewildered, as students screamed. The whole thing happened so quickly; she hurriedly stuffed the knife back into her skirt. She looked down and gasped to see Makoto clutching a hamster. “What are you doing?”

Makoto stood up, groaning. “S-sorry Mukuro. I didn’t mean to startle you or anything. You were just about to step on this hamster.” 

To say the explanation didn’t leave Mukuro any less confused would be an understatement; why had this boy nearly gotten himself killed over a... rodent? Why was she about to step on a rodent? Why was it here?

“JUM-P!” Came a deep voice from a nearby table. Mukuro’s hand twitched for her knife but she prevented herself this time. A boy she recognized as Gundham Tanaka rushed up to them, ignoring Mukuro altogether. He got very close to Makoto as the smaller boy stood up, fear evident on the part of his face not covered by a scarf. “My dark beast, are you alright?!”

“I think she’s okay,” Makoto assured him, gently handing the hamster to Gundham. “Someone must have dropped something she liked.”

Gundham leaned down and sniffed the hamster. “Ah yes... sunflower seeds. Some foul fiend must have known these are her favorites.” Gundham tucked the hamster up a sleeve and looked off to the side. “... Makoto.”

“What’s up?” He asked.

“This... is the second time you’ve saved my Dark Deva. You may very well be the Chosen One.” Gundham replied, serious as a heart attack.

Makoto nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “N-no, nothing like that. Just wanted to help a friend.”

The declaration caught Gundham off guard, and his pale complexion turned scarlet. “I... I see. Um... well, thank you.” He turned to leave, but paused and added, “You might want to get that cut looked at.”

“Huh?” Makoto wondered aloud. 

Mukuro, who watched that whole exchange in a state of bamboozlement, snapped out of it and looked at Makoto to see his left cheek had a cut on it. I must have grazed him with the knife. “You’re bleeding.”

Makoto touched his cheek and saw the small trickle of blood. “O-oh. I hadn’t even...”

Without thinking, Mukuro grabbed his hand and began pulling him out of the dining hall. “Come on, we need to get that cleaned up.”  
\------  
The dining hall was noisy as they left, but Mukuro was sure she could breeze though whatever happened later. Right now, her only concern was to clean that cut. Without a care, she dragged the poor boy into the girl’s bathroom, which was thankfully empty. At the sink, she began running the water and placed Makoto in front of the mirror as she retrieved the first aid kit on the wall. 

“I’m sorry,” Mukuro muttered as she grabbed some gauze and disinfectant wipes. “I... I didn’t mean...”

“No, it’s okay,” Makoto assured her with a gentle smile. “I should have known better than to yell and charge at someone known as the Ultimate Soldier. I’m sorry I startled you.” 

Silently, Mukuro absorbed his words. That’s right, she’s the Ultimate Soldier first and foremost. This boy was probably terrified of her now. She put some cotton balls under the faucet for just a second to get them damp. She began dabbing at Makoto’s cheek. As she worked, she was absorbed in what she was doing, but Makoto couldn’t help but notice how close she was. The heat rose to his face as he couldn’t help but notice hers. In the light, he could see the smatter of freckles across her nose and cheeks, and her pale blue eyes looked especially large so close to his.

 _She’s really cute,_ he gulped. 

“You... shouldn’t apologize to someone who cut you with a knife.” Mukuro said. “I could have killed you.”

Makoto frowned. There was a sadness in her voice, and he didn’t like it. He had REALLY liked the smile she had given him this morning. Maybe he could get another one out of her. “It’s really okay. I didn’t feel it and it didn’t look that deep. Guess it’s lucky I fell, haha.” 

“I’m sorry,” Mukuro repeated, her eyes dimming slightly. 

Deciding to change the topic, Makoto focused on the task at hand- which was easy for how close she was, dabbing the blood off his cheek. “It’s okay. You sure know how to patch it up though, so I’m not worried.”

“Oh,” Mukuro replied. She wasn’t used to compliments, and it made her heart race a bit. Why? It was a new feeling. “Well... every soldier needs to know some basic first aid to treat cuts and wounds quickly. I’ve never had to use it on myself, but I’ve had to do it to comrades on the battlefield.”

“That’s amazing!” Makoto assured her with a smile. “Your talent is so versatile!”

To see his smile so close to her set Mukuro’s heart pounding in her chest, and her breath caught in her throat. She had stopped dabbing his cheek and gently caressed it. She could feel her face burning. _What... what is this?_ “I-i-is it?” 

She hadn’t thought about herself ever being more than just a killer. A murderer. Or a murder slut, as Junko would call her.

“It is.” Makoto nodded. “Maybe when you aren’t fighting you could be a nurse? Maybe Mikan could teach you?” 

Mukuro snapped back to herself. There would be no time she wasn’t fighting; she had a war to begin with Junko. That’s what Junko wanted, and what Junko wanted, Mukuro would provide as a good sister. 

But what Mukuro wanted...

She shook herself and grabbed the wipes for disinfecting the wound. “No, I don’t think that’s what I want to do. This might sting...”

Makoto winced as the wipe hit his cheek. “Right... don’t want it to get infected. I’m used to that stuff. With my luck I got hurt all the time as a kid. What is it you want to do?”

Mukuro gently wiped the wound and gave Makoto a quizzical look. “What do you mean? I’m the Ultimate Soldier.” 

“So?” Makoto asked with a slight chuckle. “Leon is the Ultimate Baseball Star and he wants to be in a punk band. What is it you want? Unless it’s to be a soldier forever, that’s cool too.”

Mukuro paused, and her face turned red. “Well... I... um... it’s... um... it’s a little silly.” 

“Don’t worry about it, I won’t laugh.” Makoto assured her. 

His smile was all Mukuro needed to know he was telling the truth.

“I... I would like to cut hair.” She blushed. “A hair stylist.”

“I love haircuts.” Makoto beamed. “The sound of the razors make my head feel all tingly and I get sleepy afterwards. That’s a cool dream. I’m sure you can do it. You seem really good with your hands.”

Mukuro could almost swear she was going to forget how to breathe if Makoto kept this up. “I! Um! Th-thank you Makoto. You’re... you’re all set.” 

Makoto looked at himself in the mirror and grinned. “Good as new! Thanks, Mukuro.” 

_Why do I feel like I’m a puddle? What is this?_ Mukuro pondered. She felt faint. The feeling was almost intoxicating. “N-no problem.”

As the two walked out of the bathroom, they caught the eye of the patrolling Kiyotaka Ishimaru. “HOLD IT!” He shouted, briskly walking towards them so as to not run in the halls. “WHAT ON EARTH WERE THE TWO OF YOU DOING IN THE GIRL’S BATHROOM?! THAT IS HIGHLY INAPPROPRIATE! I SHALL REPORT YOU TO -”

“H-hold on Kiyotaka,” Makoto interjected, holding up his hands in surrender. “I got a cut on my cheek in the dining hall and Mukuro was just helping me get cleaned up.” He pointed to the faint line on his cheek. “See?”

Kiyotaka leaned forward and inspected the cut. In an instant, his whole demeanor changed, and he laughed heartily. “Oh, well I’m glad you’re okay Makoto! And I’m thankful Mukuro was able to help you in such a way.” His face snapped back to stern, briefly. “But next time, please report to the nurse’s office, as it is still immoral for you to go to the woman’s bathroom! I’ll let it slide this time, just this once!”

Makoto rubbed the back of his neck, “Th-thanks, Kiyotaka.” 

“Call me Taka, I insist.” Taka nodded. “Now, please make sure to eat your vegetables and dispose of your garbage in the waste receptacles!” 

He marched on, patrolling the halls. No one had actually appointed him to do so, he just took it upon himself. 

“I’m really glad he wasn’t in the dining hall to see the knife I had,” Mukuro muttered. 

Makoto nodded and looked at the dining hall doors. They could still hear a lot of commotion inside the hall, so he wondered if maybe bringing her back in there would be a bad idea. “Do you maybe want to go eat on the roof instead? Might be a little calmer after everything that happened.” 

Mukuro’s heart jumped into her throat. The mere thought of being invited to eat, alone, with Makoto on the roof had her feeling dizzy. So... so much had happened to her today.

For her whole life, she had been treated like a battlefield asset. No one in Fenrir got close to each other; they were professionals. They took jobs, went in, got the mission done, and left. When she was home, she was Junko’s right hand woman. She got a job, got it done, and if she didn’t screw up, Junko had less abrasive words for her than usual. 

So why was this boy smiling at her and talking to her like she wasn’t a tool for killing? “Are you... sure you want to do that? With... me?”

The question took Makoto back. “Why wouldn’t I?” 

The question was... so innocent and pure. His tone was gentle and curious. He had meant it; in his mind, there was no reason why he couldn’t sit and eat lunch with her. 

“Well... just... you know...” Mukuro stuttered. She winced at herself. She was a hardened mercenary. Being so nervous didn’t feel right, but she couldn’t stop her knees from shaking.

Makoto blinked at her, innocently. “I don’t know what you mean.” His smile returned. “We should hurry, before we miss the lunch period.” 

This time, he absentmindedly grabbed her hand and began pulling her upstairs towards the roof. 

_This is how I’m going to die, isn’t it?_ Mukuro wondered, feeling dizzy as Makoto pulled her upstairs to the roof. _Not from an errant bullet or too many enemies for even me to handle. My heart is going to give out from this damn boy. My heart is going to beat so fast it will just stop._  
\------  
The commotion in the dining hall was beginning to die down, but Junko hadn’t noticed a thing about it. Her brain had frozen at the exact moment Makoto had tripped, dodging not only Mukuro’s knife, but falling at the right angle to scoop that stupid rodent out of the way of her sister’s combat boot. 

Somehow, both her plan and backup plan failed spectacularly. 

A small part of her was reveling in the despair of being absolutely denied both her plans. The wonderful humiliation and wallowing in that defeat. It was absolutely beautiful... for a brief moment. 

But she couldn’t help but wonder just how in the hell Makoto could have done that. 

She knew, through hacking, that his talent was officially listed as, The Ultimate Lucky Student, but all that really meant is that he won a lottery. Otherwise, Makoto Naegi was a boring student who hardly registered on her radar. His ass should have just been in the Reserve Department. 

Was it possible he was actually lucky? Did he have some complex, luck-based power that allowed him to dodge death AND save a hamster while masquerading as bad luck from tripping on his own shoelace. 

She scowled. 

This was not good. An unknown risk factor was not something any analyst could accept. And while it might be exciting, the fact that something so simple was already thwarted by his sheer dumb luck? 

Junko Enoshima would not stand for it. 

And besides...

What would make her sister more full of despair than the death of a boy she grew ever closer to? 

She smiled. This could actually be fun.


	4. When It All Comes Crashing Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto and Mukuro share a lovely conversation over lunch, and the Lucky Students tries to bring a few more people together.

“I’ve been meaning to come eat up here at some point,” Makoto admitted, opening his bento under the blue sky. “Not everyday, of course. Sometimes it just gets hectic sitting with Sayaka.” 

Mukuro felt a pang of something in her chest. It was not the pleasant, airy feeling she’d had for the last half an hour so since helping Makoto with his cheek. It was uncomfortable and squirmed in her chest. “You sit with her a lot. You must be close.”

“She and I went to middle school together,” Makoto explained. “It’s kind of funny... we never really talked in middle school. I wouldn’t say we were friends or anything. But I guess coming here, it’s easy to latch onto a familiar face. Like you and your sister. Are you guys close?” 

Mukuro panicked for a moment; Junko had warned her the less that was said about her, the better. No one could have even the faintest hint of their plans. Instead, Mukuro just nodded. “Yes. We do a lot together.” 

The answer seemed to appease Makoto. “That’s cool. I have a sister too. She’s a year younger than me. She’s a little annoying but... I don’t know, I can’t imagine not having her around.” He paused. “Just... don’t tell her I said that if you ever meet her.” 

She let herself chuckle a bit. “I don’t think most people our age are as fond of their siblings.”

Makoto laughed back. “Yeah, no, people tell us we’re weird all the time. Don’t get me wrong, we usually greet each other with, ‘hey you,’ or something like that. Sometimes she just throws bananas at me. My mom hates it.”

“A waste of perfectly good fruit,” Mukuro smiled. “I’d have killed for some during my last outing on the battlefield.” 

“Oh, yeah. I bet it’s great to have warm meals and stuff now that you’re back.” Makoto replied. 

“And a bed,” Mukuro added. “When you’re away like that, even those simple things we take for granted seem like luxuries.” 

“I could never do something like that,” he said. “I’m not nearly strong or brave enough.”

“I think... that’s okay.” She replied. In their conversation, she had forgotten to start eating, and she finally took a bite. “It’s not for everyone. And I’ve seen... and done things that I wouldn't wish on anyone.” 

The two sat there, eating in each other’s company for a few moments. And in that time, the other things in the Ultimate Soldier’s life melted away. She forgot, however briefly, that she was nothing more than a tool for Junko Enoshima. That she was a murderer who was far too gone for things like happiness. She had ended more lives than Makoto could ever imagine. But sitting there, Mukuro Ikusaba felt like a normal sixteen year old girl. And she could stare at this boy forever.

And then the bell rang, right on time.

“Ah, guess it’s time to head back,” Makoto sighed, throwing out his garbage in the can placed near the stairs. 

“Yes... I guess so,” she frowned; it was hard to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

“We should do this again every now and then,” Makoto suggested. “And you can come sit with me at lunch, too.”

“Are you... are you sure?”

“Yeah of course,” he beamed. “You can sit right next to me if you want. It will be nice to have someone to talk to other than just listening to Sayaka and Sonia.” 

Mukuro smiled, possibly her most genuine smile in years. Makoto wanted her to sit with him, to talk to her. Not Sayaka. Her. “I would love that.”  
\------  
Afternoon classes were something Makoto struggled with; usually they were practical assignments done in pairs or groups. Sometimes it would be inventing something, sometimes it was a simulation of negotiations or a political situation that might arise in the future, and sometimes it was something more... typical, like a science lab experiment. Today, they were tasked with devising a new cleaning system, and Makoto had the sneaking suspicion it had something to do with the janitor who had recently been fired. 

Makoto got paired up with Chihiro and Mondo. As soon the teacher finished their explanation, Chihirio mumbled that she was going to make a program for a cleaning robot. Hammering away on her laptop, she stayed silent. Mondo leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes; the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader clearly had no intention of helping. 

Makoto twiddled his fingers for a minute and decided to speak up. “Hey, Chihiro?”

The Programmer jumped, tears already forming in her eyes. “What? Did I do something wrong?!”

“Huh?” Makoto said, alarmed. He raised his hands and talked more gently. “N-no. I just wanted to ask what I could do to help.” 

“O-oh.” Chihiro replied. “Yes... I suppose I’ll need parts and tools to get this put together... I’ll need help on that part too. Programming is one thing, but building something is another matter.” 

“No problem, what do you need me to get?” Makoto beamed.

Chihiro breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Makoto! Here,” quickly, the programmer scribbled down a list of parts. “The mechanic shop should have all these things. Please hurry!” 

Makoto nodded. “Sure thing!”

The Ultimate Lucky Student rushed from the room, rushed back in to grab the list he forgot, and rushed out once more. The whole time, Mukuro couldn’t help but watch him.

Junko did too. She had already analyzed Chihiro’s whole plan from her facial expressions and the reflection of her laptop on the window, and was planning one just different enough that it wouldn’t be considered cheating. “Hey, siiis,” Junko said, using her fashionista voice and polite words that she only showed at school. The exaggerated sis still made Mukuro uneasy... it meant there was another, much harsher word lingering underneath. “I’m going to gather some parts for this. Can you work on this?” 

Mukuro furrowed her brow, which brought attention to her freckles. Junko hated those freckles. Ugly little imperfections, just like her ugly older sister. “Junko, I... don’t know much about computers.”

“It’s fine, it’s running on its own. Just close any dialogue boxes that pop up.” 

“Um.. okay I suppose. You usually have me gather materials...”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you?” Junko sneered, a sinister grin splayed across her face. “More time to spend with a certain lucky boy?”

Mukuro’s face fell. She knew. Junko knew. Mukuro had spent time focused away from their plans for world despair, and her sister wasn’t going to let her forget it. “N-no, I just.”

“Wait here.”   
\------  
Makoto was nearly skipping as he left a side door and headed towards the shop for some parts. For whatever reason, he just felt really good ever since lunch. Still, he had a job to do, and when he got back he hoped he could convince Mondo to help out. 

As he entered the mechanic studio, he was greeted to the sound of saws and drills, wincing slightly at the noise level before he adjusted. A boy in a yellow jumpsuit and pink hair stopped what he was doing and walked over to him. With the welder’s mask over his face, those were the only features that Makoto could make out. “What do you want?”

“S-sorry to intrude, I’m from class 78, and I was hoping to borrow a few parts for a robot we’re working on.” 

The boy lifted his welder’s mask, and Makoto was relieved to find the boy grinning from ear to ear. “A robot huh?! That sounds cool!” He extended his hand. “Kazuichi Soda. I guess I’m your senpai then?” 

Makoto shook his hand. “Thanks, senpai. What are you working on?” 

“Just repairing a few faculty members' cars,” Kazuichi sighed. “I’m the Ultimate Mechanic, so all these teachers like to take advantage of it for their boring oil changes. No one will let me soup up their cars into turbo machines. 

“What about that one up on the lift?” Makoto asked, pointing up at the hot pink car hoisted towards the roof. 

“That’s my pet project!” Kazuichi fist pumped. “I’m going to get that baby to hit 888 milometers per hour!” 

Makoto smiled. “That’s amazing. Can you tell me about it while I gather some things?” 

Kazuichi was always happy to talk shop with someone, and the two began to put somethings in Makoto’s satchel. 

Junko had slipped into the shop. It was deserted other than a few other students in the back, Kazuichi, and her victim. She scanned the shop and the rows of cars.

It was almost too easy. Like Makoto, her eyes went right to the hot pink car hoisted up towards the ceiling, and she figured it would be easy to make this look like an accident. 

She slunk back towards the lifts while the two boys were entrenched in their search for parts. She hadn’t done any work on these before, so it took a moment to figure out the best way to sabotage it. But every structure had weak points, she knew well. A few screws loosened, bolts given a small amount of leeway...and then just the right amount of force...

As she finished her work, Makoto and Kazuichi were looking for just one more spare screwdriver. 

“I’m usually using drills so I misplace that a lot,” Kazuichi admitted. “Might want to check the cars.” 

Junko, overhearing, grabbed a screwdriver and tossed it out in front of the lift. The sound of the tool clattering on the cement caught the eye of both boys, who were looking in one of the teacher’s sedans. “Oh, there it is!” Kazuichi laughed. 

The two walked out in front of it, and Junko ducked behind another car. All she had to do was give the lift a push. As she did, the hot pink car at the top shifted, and the lift groaned.

But over the groan, a car door slammed shut, and Makoto yelped as he tried to walk forward. “Crap, Kazuichi, I shut my sleeve in the door.”

Kazuichi turned to see Makoto helplessly flailing against the sedan. The mechanic laughed and walked back towards Makoto. 

Junko cursed, but it was too late. The lift leaned forward, dropping the hot pink car as it crashed on top of the screwdriver. The resounding crash was defeaning as it echoed across the entire shop. Both Makoto and Kazuichi let out screams that were probably more high pitched than they would have liked to admit. 

“HOLY SHIIIIT!” Kazuichi screamed. “MY BABY!!!!!” 

Makoto placed his hand over his heart, trying to calm himself. “Jeez, that could have killed us!”

Kazuichi said nothing, merely dropping to his knees to sob.

In their panic, neither of them saw Junko leave.   
\------  
Some time later, Makoto returned to his classroom with a satchel full of materials for their cleaning robot, and walked back over to Chihiro and Mondo. The Biker was still asleep, and the Programmer was still furiously pounding away at her keyboard, so neither of them noticed how pale Makoto’s face was. 

“H-here’s the stuff,” Makoto muttered, putting it down and collapsing onto the seat. “H-hey Mondo, can you help me put some of the stuff together?” 

Mondo’s eyes flung open. “Hm? Why the fuck would I do that?”

Chihiro shivered, nervously. “W-w-well for our assignment we needed to build a cleaning robot...”

“So?”

“Maybe you’d be good putting stuff together, like working on a bike?” Makoto suggested nervously. He looked over Chihiro's blueprints and paused. “I guess we’re making it dog shaped.”

Mondo sat up. “Wait a goddamn second. We’re making a cleaning robot look like a fucking dog?”

“Y-y-yes?” Chihhiro answered. 

“You son of a bitch, I'm in! I love dogs!” Mondo laughed. “Alright, you fuckers convinced me. Where do I start?” 

A wave of relief washed over Makoto and Chihiro. “O-okay, let’s start here!” Chihiro accounced, laying down some blueprints. 

That day, Makoto, Mondo, and Chihiro figured out how to build a dog-cleaning robot, and grew a little closer.


	5. Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto and Mukuro both face their sisters to recount their day. Their reactions are... different.

“Back up a second,” Komaru sighed, “Why are you telling me about the robot and not the fact a car almost fell on you?”

“I don’t want to really dwell on my near brush with death,” Makoto shrugged. “It kinda freaks me out.” 

“Yeah, yeah, okay... so what about the suicide mission with the soldier girl?” 

Komaru could not help but listen in awe as Makoto’s eyes lit up through the whole account of his interactions with one Mukuro Ikusaba. Even as he was retelling almost getting a face-ectomy from the soldier, his face was excited and happy. She smirked as he began to gush about their lunch on the roof. “You dumb ahoge-headed stinkmaster. You absolute fool.” 

“Huh?” 

“The rooftop lunch? The gentle face cleaning? That’s textbook romance. Well... not the knife part.” Komaru admitted.

Makoto scratched his cheek, finger lingering over the cut that had been so gently cleaned. “N-no I don’t think it’s anything like that. I just don’t think she’s used to being treated like a normal teenager or anything.”

“Maybe you guys should do normal teenage things. Like go on dates. And kiss. And -”

Makoto threw a pillow at his sister to shut her up. Still. His face was bright red, and he couldn’t wait to see Mukuro tomorrow.  
\------  
Mukuro walked into the home she shared with Junko to be greeted to a throwing knife flying right at her face. She was able to dodge relatively easily, but it was still something that told her she was not going to be in for a pleasant afternoon.

“‘Bout time you slunk home, you fucking whore.” Junko glowered from the couch. She was flung across the whole sofa, dramatically, as if she had just fainted and was resting there.

“Am I... late... Junko?” Mukuro asked, cautiously. 

It would be so easy. The thought was always there. The thought to just...snap her like a twig. Mukuro could do it. She had the training. She was the brawn to Junko’s brains.

 _No._ She scolded herself. _I could never do that to my sister. I love Junko. I’m nothing without her._

“Late. You’ve been late.” Junko grunted. “I called for you at lunch. And what did your stupid bitch ass do? Run off to the bathroom with that stupid short boy with the bad hair.”

Mukuro’s eye twitched. She was so used to insults from Junko. They didn’t really phase her anymore. But insulting Makoto like that made her stomach sink and her chest ignite furiously. “I almost killed him.”

“Yeah, practically half the school saw, dipshit. You’re lucky I was able to convince the headmaster it was nothing.” Junko replied. “What do you think you’re doing? We’re supposed to be a team, but you’re just in the bathroom getting bent over the sink by that fucking lame ass?”

Mukuro frowned, blushing. “No, we didn’t... there was no...”

“Of course not,” Junko laughed. “Who would ever want to fuck someone like you anyway? He’s probably scared you’d shoot his little soldier off and use it for target practice.”

The soldier bit her lip. She never knew how to respond to Junko when she was at her most perverted.

“I just... wanted to make sure there was no trouble.” Mukuro replied.

Junko stood from the sofa and walked over to Mukuro. Mukuro could count exactly seventy three ways to counter what her sister was about to do. She did none of them, of course, because she loved Junko. And Junko dug her long nails into Mukuro’s arm and drew blood. Mukuro did not react; reacting would make Junko do more.

“Well, now there is trouble.” Junko scowled. “If you let someone close to you, it’s a distraction. Got it? You know what happens with obstacles?”

Mukuro’s heart sank. “They... are eliminated.”

“Right.” Junko’s face twisted into a sickened grin. “Does that make your little stone cold heart break? To know your little boy toy has to die? Well guess what? You’re going to do it.”

“I... I am?” _Why is my face wet?_ Mukuro wondered, her breathing becoming staggered.

“Oh my god, you fucking loser, are you crying?” Junko laughed. “You talked to a boy once and you’re sobbing because you have to kill him? I thought you were my murder slut! Slaughterer of an entire middle school! Scourge of Fenrir.” Junko slapped her sister viciously. Mukuro did not flinch, just absorbing the blow. “Get ahold of yourself you fucking dumb bitch. You. Are. A. Killer.”

Mukuro touched her hand to her face. She WAS crying. But Junko was right... she was a killer. She had done horrible, terrible things in her life. Never with remorse. Never looking back. So why now? Why did this make her cry?

“I’ve seen now, TWICE today, that little pest can get in the way of my plans.” Junko hissed, “And fun as it might be, I can’t go forward with my Tragedy of Hope’s Peak knowing he could get in the way. So we’re going to take him and get rid of him. And you know what? I might just have my way with him. JUST to show you he could never want someone like you.”

Mukuro grit her teeth, and for a split second a rage flashed in her eyes.

“Oh, do you not like that?” Junko put on a fake pout. “You don’t want me to make you watch? Don’t want to watch me ravage that little twig and take his virginity right in front of your eyes?” Another slap to Mukuro; this time it echoed throughout their empty house. “Then you better make better remember to follow orders next time. Because the next time you fuck up? He’s mine, and then he’s dead.”

Junko stormed off. “Order me some duck from the restaurant downtown.”

Mukuro waited until it was safe, and rubbed her eyes. For once, she didn't know what to do.


	6. Donuts and Teenagers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mukuro's plans to avoid Makoto last all of three seconds. But Makoto's plans to get this classmates together prove to be more successful.

The next day, Mukuro awoke, unsure of whether or not she even wanted to go to school. Even her brief interaction with Makoto yesterday had such consequences, maybe it would be better for her... and him, if she pretended he didn’t exist. 

Him. Or his smile. Or that ahoge. Or...

She snapped herself out of it. Junko had already left, to her surprise. They never went to school together, but usually Junko would have some nasty words in the morning for the Soldier.

Mukuro decided to head to class, and left for the long walk. They lived in an urban, downtown area. Even if the Ultimate Fashionista was a cover for her true ability, Junko wanted to be by all the distractions she could for her constant boredom. Mukuro saw a lot of things in the city on her way to school, and none of them really surprised her anymore.

She was surprised to see, however, one Makoto Naegi across the street from her building, at a bakery, with a girl next to him. He was struggling with three boxes stacked on top of each other, and they looked like they could topple over at any minute. 

“Komaru, can you give me a hand please?!” He grunted, trying to balance the three stacked boxes.

“But we’re not going the same way,” the girl chirped happily. 

Mukuro checked the street and ran over; just in time too, she managed to snatch a falling box before it hit the ground. 

“Ah!” Makoto yelped in surprise, both from the sudden appearance of his classmate and dropping a box. “Mukuro, what a surprise! Guess I’m really lucky you were here!” 

“Well, I actually live around here.” Mukuro replied. “What are you doing around here?” 

The third girl, who seemed very amused, interrupted by clearing her throat obnoxiously. “Makoto, aren’t you going to introduce me to your lovely friend?”

Makoto and Mukuro both blushed. “O-oh, right,” Makoto muttered. “Mukuro, this is my little sister, Komaru. Komaru, this is Mukuro.”

“Oh, so SHE’S the one you sat and ate lunch with on the roof yesterday?” Komaru said with a wink. “Makoto just couldn’t tell me enough good things about you, Mukuro.”

Mukuro could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. “Oh... um...” She couldn’t seem to find her tongue; the thought of Makoto talking about her to his sister just made her feel light-headed.

“Well, I need to get going the other way,” Komaru laughed. “See you later, Makoto!” 

As his sister left, Makoto tried to quell the embarrassment he was feeling. “Jeez...”

Mukuro and Makoto made eye contact and immediately looked away from each other. 

“S-so why were you over here again?” Mukuro asked, trying to change the subject.

“Oh, right!” Makoto said, relieved. “So after working with Mondo and Chihiro yesterday, I thought maybe I could do something to help the class get closer.”

“Get... closer?” Mukuro echoed. 

“Yeah, you ever notice how like... no one really hangs out with each other?” Makoto explained. “But after we worked together, Mondo and Chihiro were already making plans to start working out and stuff. I guess Chihiro wants to get stronger. I figured maybe I’d bring in donuts for everyone, and we could all be friends.” He laughed. “I guess it’s kind of a silly idea though.” 

Mukuro smiled. “You... you’re very kind, Makoto.” 

“Huh?” He replied, blushing again. “No, it’s nothing... special. I just wanted to try and bring us closer together. We're all classmates and stuff, and everyone seems really nice once you get to know them. Just like you.” 

Mukuro tilted her head. "You think I'm nice?"

Makoto laughed. "Of course. The first thing you did when you thought I was hurt was nurse me back to health. You didn't ask or anything, you just instinctively took care of me. You're really nice, Mukuro."

Her face, full of color, stared down at the box in her hands.

No one ever said anything like that before. She looked up at him, smiling.

“It’s a great idea, your donut plan.” She said. “Do you want me to help you?”

“If you wouldn’t mind,” he admitted. “I got a little lost on my way here, so I’ll just follow you to school if that’s okay.”

“No trouble at all.” 

As they began to walk away from the downtown area, he asked, “Do you have a favorite kind of donut?”

“You know, I’ve never had one.” She admitted. “I’ve lived across the street from that bakery my whole life, and I’ve never gone in.

Makoto’s jaw dropped. “Never?! I mean I picked donuts from here because I heard Aoi talk about how much she loves them, but you’ll have to tell me what your favorite is.”

Mukuro giggled. The sound was foreign to her ears. Had she ever giggled before knowing him. “I suppose I can. How about you, Makoto?”

“Double chocolate. Kinda lame, I know... super common."

As they talked, Mukuro nearly forgot her conversation with Junko the night before. Nearly.   
\------  
For all his talk of bad luck, the donuts worked. The class gathered around Sayaka’s and Aoi’s desk to partake, and Makoto even managed to get a group photo of the whole class. For the first time, the class was filled with friendly chatter instead of the usual quiet. 

And for a few weeks, it continued like that; Makoto would engage his classmates - sometimes one on one, sometimes as a group - and grow closer with them. In turn, the rest of class would grow closer to each other as well. 

Mukuro liked to watch this happen. It was fascinating to her, honestly. There was a sense of camaraderie with fellow mercenaries on missions, but it was a professional partnership. But watching Makoto read and give his thoughts on Hifumi’s work, or watch him desperately try and keep up with one of Sakura’s training sessions was something entirely different. He didn’t get anything out of this. He was just friendly.

There were other feelings too; whenever Makoto was talking with Kyoko in the library or Sayaka in the music room, it would send Mukuro’s stomach into knots. In her mind, she would see them kissing. If Junko was around, she’d put images in the soldier’s mind of things going even farther. 

But once a week, like clockwork, Makoto would invite Mukuro to the roof to eat lunch, just the two of them. It was, without a doubt, her favorite part of the week. They’d talk about the week, their families, things Makoto had talked about the other students with... it didn’t matter. Mukuro could sit and listen to him for hours, if she could. 

She was careful though. Careful in making sure she followed all of Junko’s orders. Careful not to spend any time with Naegi that would otherwise belong to Junko. Careful not to get too close to anyone else. 

Junko had decided to put a few plans on hold; including pushing for the murder of the younger yakuza. Things were too risky, as it were. 

And as much as she couldn’t wait for grand-scale despair, for the whole school and then the world...

Something personal would just be so much more... satisfying. 

She just had to get Makoto and Mukuro in the right place.


	7. Haircuts and Hamsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto chickens out of asking Mukuro on a date, and accidentally gives Junko a great idea.

“Mukuro, you should pet one!” Makoto replied, chipperly. He was sitting with Gundham at lunch when Mukuro had joined him, as she had been for some time. 

Mukuro and Gundham made eye contact. “... May I?” she asked. “I wasn’t sure if I had to be a... Chosen One, like Makoto.”

She had picked up that Gundham talked in a weird way, but was otherwise pretty harmless. He nodded. “If Makoto trusts you, the Dark Devas shall allow THE MOST GENTLE OF HEAD PATS!”

Mukuro gently stroked the fur of one of the Devas. 

One of the things she loved about Makoto was his absolute love of animals. It made his friendship and ability to befriend Gundham make sense. But the thought made Mukuro blush. 

There were many, MANY things she loved about Makoto. 

Socially inept, she wasn’t completely stupid. She was infatuated with him. Enamored. After weeks of the weird, airy feeling he gave her, she finally figured it out. It took some... internet research to finally learn what it was, but still. 

She loved him.

But again, she wasn’t stupid. Junko had been right; why would he want her? She was a killer. A murderer. A - 

“Hey, earth to Mukuro?” Makoto asked her. “You okay?”

“Hmm?” She replied. “Sorry, just... lost in thought.” 

“Oh, sorry.” He said. “I was just wondering if... well...”

He had paused and was looking down at the table. He looked nervous about whatever it was he was trying to ask. She tilted her head, gently. “What is it, Makoto? You can tell me.”

“I was wondering if you would cut my hair,” he muttered. “It’s getting a little shaggy,”

Mukuro looked at his locks. They had grown over the last few weeks, that was for sure. “I don’t actually have any training, Makoto.”

“I... I know.” Makoto admitted. “To be honest, every time I get a haircut somewhere, I sneeze and they screw up... it’s bad luck. But you have really good reflexes and I figured maybe I could help you start learning.”

Mukuro blinked at him. In those weeks, it never ceased to amaze her how she could go from feeling like an insignificant piece of gruel, only useful for Junko... to feeling like the most important person in the world just because Makoto looked at her. “I... I guess I can try.”

“I’ll bring you some chocolate donuts as thanks!” Makoto beamed. “You’re the best, Mukuro.”

Mukuro’s face was burning. Ever since he had learned that she had the same favorite as him, he would surprise her with a treat every now and again. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to.” He insisted. “Where do you want to do this?”

“Oh... I guess I can it tomorrow on the roof during lunch if you want?” Mukuro suggested.

“Awesome!” He grinned. 

Junko had heard the whole thing. 

This was it. This was her chance.   
\------

“You asked her to cut your hair?” Komaru laughed. “Lame!” 

“I... I got nervous!” Makoto frowned. “I’ll ask her out after the haircut.” 

“It’s about time.” Komaru snickered as she watched her brother do his homework. “Every time you get to spend time with her you come skipping home. You two just need to make out already. Take her to the movies, then you can just sit in the back and get to first base.” 

“Shut up! You need to get your own life,” Makoto teased. 

“But yours is so much fun to watch!” 

“Get out of my room.”  
\------  
The next day, Makoto was a nervous wreck as he walked to school, donuts in hand for himself and Mukuro. He had barely slept the night before. Today was the day he would ask out Mukuro.

At the school gate, he walked past Gundham, and to his surprise, Jum-P jumped over to his head. “Oh! Good morning guys!” 

“Good morrow on you, Chosen One,” Gundham nodded.

Jum-P however, was chittering nervously on Makoto’s head. 

“Hmm?” Gundham hummed. “It appears my Dark Deva is very concerned for your well being, Mr. Naegi.” 

“Huh? Oh... well that’s not good.” Makoto gulped. Briefly, he considered that asking a soldier for a haircut might have been a bad idea. “Any suggestions, Supreme Overlord?” 

“Take Jum-P with you in your satchel.” Gundham suggested. “She seems to wish to stay close.”

Makoto’s face lit up. “Sounds like my lucky day! I’d love to take her with me.” He carefully allowed the hamster to climb into his bag. He parted ways with Gundham and went inside. Maybe having a friend with him would help him ask out Mukuro.  
\------  
Just as nervous as Makoto, Mukuro cut her class before lunch to head up to the roof to prepare. She just hoped she wouldn’t mess up and hurt him.

Her fears changed completely when she saw that Junko was there, sitting on the bench her and Makoto would always share, waiting with her legs crossed.

“Hey sis...” Junko crowed. “Hope you don’t mind... but I think I’m going to third wheel on your little date.” 

Mukuro’s eyes widened. “What... what are you doing?”

“No no... what are WE doing, sis?”


	8. The Fall of Despair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Junko crashes the haircut, and everyone gets a little more than they bargained for.

Makoto’s heart pounded in his eardrums as he climbed the stairs to the roof of Hope’s Peak Academy. His mind kept flashing back to the first day he and Mukuro had gone to the roof. To when they were in the bathroom, and her face so close to his...

He opened the door to the roof and walked out to see...

“Junko?” He asked. “What are you doing here?”

Junko’s face was devoid of the usual expressions he was used to seeing from his classmate as she sat on the bench he and Mukuro usually shared. She looked deadly serious. “Grab him.”

From behind the door, Mukuro stepped forward and seized Makoto by the neck in one swift motion, knife held to his throat.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Feeling the cold blade against his flesh, he went still, confused and heartbroken. “W-wait! What’s happening?! Mukuro?”

Mukuro’s hand shook slightly.

“Aw, how sickeningly sweet,” Junko laughed. She mocked him. “Mukuwo! Mukuwo, how could you hurt me like this, uwu!” She put on a queenly accent. “Throw that peasant to the ground, Mukuro!” 

With minimal hesitation, Mukuro kicked Makoto forward and he was flung onto the cold cement. As he turned to look up, the soldier had a gun pointed directly at his face. Her head was tilted down and he could not see her eyes as her bangs blocked her face from his view. “Mukuro, why do you have a gun here?!”

“Oh my god, do you hear yourself?” Junko snorted with laughter. “Why would Mukuro have a gun here? Tell him what you are, Mukuro.”

Mukuro said, quietly. “The Ultimate Soldier.”

“And?” Junko needled.

“A killer,” Mukuro continued. “A tool.” 

“A tool?” Makoto echoed. “What does that mean?”

“It means, SHE’S MY OWNER PERSONAL FUCKING HIT MAN!” Junko cackled, throwing up the devil horns. “She’s like my own gun, SO OF COURSE she has an actual gun. All I gotta do is point her in the direction, and she’ll clean up whatever I want cleaned up.”

“H-hold on!” Makoto said, holding his hands up in surrender. “Why would you want me cleaned up?! What did I do? I'm the least messy person!”

Junko looked at him, and shrugged. With a bored monotone, she answered, “No reason really. You just got in the way.”

“Got in the way of what?” Makoto asked, “This has got to be some kind of bad joke.”

“Got in the way of my despair.” Junko replied. 

“In the way of... despair?” 

“You’re so good at repeating what people say, you know what?” Junko sighed. “It's annoying. You're like one of those video game characters who needs all the exposition. All you need to know, is that me and my sister have plans to create the biggest, most despair-inducing tragedy in the world. And you got in the way.”

“But... we’re teenagers!” Makoto nearly shouted. “How could you do something like that? How did I get in the way?"

“Oh, it involves a lot of killing, courtesy of my dear sister here!” Junko chuckled. “Do you know how many people she’s killed? Do you? Did you talk about it up here when you were making googly eyes at each other?”

She walked over and put an arm on Mukuro’s shoulder. “Do you want to tell him how he got in the way, Muku?”

Mukuro said nothing, just shook slightly.

“Awww... did the cat get your tongue?” Junko cackled. “It’s because she loves you, you stupid little shitstain!”

Makoto’s eyes widened. “Me?” 

“You just had to try and treat her like she ISN’T an insignificant little WORM, my killing whore!” Without warning, Junko clutched Makoto’s face with boy hands, shaking him viciously. “SHE’S MY ULTIMATE DESPAIR, MAKOTO. AND YOU MADE HER THINK SHE WAS WORTHY OF LOVE!” 

She shoved his head back into the ground, making him yelp in pain. He saw stars briefly, and looked back up.

“So now, I want her to kill you,” Junko snarled. “And as she sits in despair at killing the boy she fell in love with, I’m going to drink it in. I'm going to just bathe in your despair, as my sister has to kill her little boy toy."

As she finished her monologue, expected to here sobs. Most people begged for their lives when Junko set Mukuro upon them. Instead...

“She is worthy of love.” Makoto replied. Both sisters looked up at him. He stared up at Junko. The fear and shock had left his eyes, replaced with his rare passion and determination. 

“What?” Junko hissed. 

“I don’t know if I buy into your whole... world tragedy crap, but if you really think your sister is just some tool for you to use, then you're just so... full of shit!” He exclaimed, voice raising slightly at the end. Mukuro had hardly known him to swear. “She’s a person. Not your tool. And I don’t care what you say about her... the Mukuro I know is amazing.

Mukuro’s heart sank. _What am I doing?_

“Well, let’s see how much you know?” Junko sneered. “Who is she really? Your Mukuro or my Mukuro? Here's the answer: shoot him, Mukuro.”

Makoto held his breath, and made eye contact with Mukuro, staring up the barrel of her gun. 

As she met his eyes, her strength left her. “I... I can’t.”

Already sensing her plan going haywire, Junko pulled out her own gun and pointed it at Makoto. “Mukuro. Either you do it, or I will.” 

Mukuro looked up at her sister, shocked. “Junko...”

Before Mukuro could turn her gun on Junko, the Analyst had Makoto in a headlock, and pulled him to his feet, gun to his temple. “I swear, Mukuro. I’ll do it.”

She looked behind her and took a step back towards the ledge. “Or maybe I’ll push him over if you don’t do it.” Junko sneered. “Less of him for you to bury!” 

“H-hey, we don’t have to do this!” Makoto reasoned. “N-no one has to die! We can work this out!” 

“Junko, please, I’ll do whatever you want!” Mukuro begged. "Please get away from the ledge!"

“I don’t know if you guys get it,” Junko laughed. “There’s no situation where you just point and talk your way out of this! Someone is going to die!”

And little did she know, she was right. At that moment, Jum-P, the Dark Deva of Destruction, would enact on her avowed bond with Naegi. Leaping from the satchel of Makoto, the hamster sunk it’s little teeth into Junko’s hand. The Analyst yelled in pain, dropping her gun. Mukuro charged forward and pulled Makoto out of her sister’s grasp. And as she did, Junko stumbled backwards and toppled off the top of Hope’s Peak Academy. 

Mukuro, Makoto, and Jum-P could only watch in show as they heard Junko’s screams of despair as she careened to the ground, only to be silenced forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GET IT? THE FALL OF DESPAIR? HA!
> 
> Seriously, nothing made me happier than having Makoto's love of animals end up saving the world from Junko.


	9. The Fallout, The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mukuro learns to move on from Junko, Makoto, like the awesome person he is, has her back every step of the way.

The school was shocked for weeks at the death of one of its celebrity students. What was considered a tragic accident of Hope’s Peak was mourned for some time, and class 78 was shaken at the loss of one of their own.

Worse still, Makoto felt incredibly guilty. While he knew it wasn’t his fault, he still felt responsible for the whole thing. He never said a word to anyone about Junko’s plans for despair; he’d let her be remembered as the Fashionista the class knew.

Mukuro stopped coming to class; not that anyone was surprised. They didn’t advertise their kinship often, but the class had known. 

Makoto took it upon himself to go to Makoto’s home every day after school, bringing her a donut and her homework for the day. Every day, Mukuro would look out the peephole as he knocked on the door, and watched him leave. He was never discouraged when she didn’t answer.

On the fourth week, she finally opened the door, and greeted him blankly. “Hey...”

“Hey Mukuro,” he said, gently. “Can I come in?”

She nodded, and brought him inside. 

The apartment that she used to share with her sister had been decorated gaudily, all except Mukuro’s room. The two sat on a leopard print couch, and Mukuro folded her hands in her lap, staring at the coffee table ahead of them. 

Makoto didn’t have a plan. He gently reached over and grabbed Mukuro’s shoulder. She flinched at his touch but did not pull away.

“Are you okay?” He asked gently.

All at once, it was like he’d broken a dam. Mukuro, the pillar of strength and stoicism he knew collapsed into his shoulder. Even then, she was composed, crying gently instead of sobbing, as Makoto knew he would be in her situation.

“I... I feel lost Makoto.” She whispered between shaky breaths. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do without her.”

Makoto wrapped her into a gentle hug. After a few minutes, she reciprocated. 

“Can you tell me... how much of what she said was true?” Makoto asked.

“All of it,” Mukuro grumbled. “Everything.”

They sat for a few moments while he processed. “That’s crazy... it’s terrorism.”

“Beyond that,” she sniffled. "If she got her way, it'd be the end of the world."

“And she really thought you were just a tool?” He asked, frowning. “I’m so sorry, Mukuro. I wish I had known.”

“It’s okay...” she shook her head, pushing him away gently to look at him. “As awful as it may sound, I’ve always been her tool. It was better when I was just nothing but her worthless killer.”

“Why?”

Mukuro rubbed her eyes. “I loved my sister, Makoto. No matter how awful she was. And I acknowledge that. But she was the only one who gave me any approval. She was all I had, and all she wanted was to feel despair. So I promised, as kids, I’d give her anything she could to feel that despair. That’s how I began killing, and my talent came to be.”

He nodded, listening patiently. 

“And I thought, if watching other people’s despair made her happy, so be it. It was all I could do, as her talent provided for us.” She continued. “But then it all changed.”

“How...?”

“It was... you.” Mukuro admitted, meeting his eyes. “You.”

“What did I do?” He asked, bewildered.

“Weird as it may sound, you... smiled and talked to me.”

Makoto blinked in confusion. “You mean when I said good morning to you?”

She nodded. “And then you talked to me more. You kept trying to get closer to me. For once, I felt something. Hope. Happiness. Love. For once, I was feeling like I could be something more than just a ruthless murderer for Junko’s despair.”

“And she didn’t like that, I’m guessing,” Makoto frowned.

She shook her head. “No. She decided that you would be an obstacle.” Tears reformed in Mukuro’s eyes. “Please believe me when I say that I had no idea she’d show up when I was supposed to give you a haircut.” 

“I believe you,” Makoto said. “If I didn’t I’d have thought you would have shot me for real.” 

“I could never,” Mukuro replied. “Not after what you said.”

“What?” 

“That... you know... I’m worthy...” She replied. She shook her head. “I shouldn’t be talking about this... not when... Junko’s...”

Makoto hugged her again. “You are worthy of love, Mukuro. And what Junko said and did to you is wrong... though, I think deep down, you know that.”

Mukuro nodded.

“Even so,” he said, “I’m not going to tell you that you shouldn’t love her, or mourn her.” He scratched the back of his head. “That’s... a lot of really complicated stuff I don’t understand, to be honest. But I think what you’re feeling is normal. But... for what it’s worth. I do love you.”

Mukuro’s pale blue eyes met his. They froze, and her cheeks turned red. “You do?” She asked. It was a small voice that she barely recognized as her own.

Makoto nodded. “I do. And I’m here for you.”

Mukuro grabbed his cheeks in her hands and pulled him in for a kiss. It had taken him by surprise, but he soon found himself returning the show of affection. She pulled away and wrapped him in her arms.

“I love you too. And thank you so much,” she replied, crying again. “I’m... going to have a really hard time figuring out who I am without her.”

Makoto rubbed her back gently. “That’s okay. We can figure it out together. You can feel all these things and work out who you are.” Gently, he kissed her freckles one by one. “I’ll be here every step of the way.”

And that was the beginning of Mukuro’s new life. Not as a tool, not as a ruthless killer. But as her own woman.  
\-----  
Over the next month, she discovered it wasn’t that easy. To Makoto’s surprise, one night after they departed from school, she showed up at his house an hour later. 

“I... I can’t be in the apartment alone,” Mukuro said to his bewildered face as he opened the door. “I just... start thinking about her. And blaming myself. And...”

“It’s okay,” Makoto replied, gently. “Sometimes you just need to keep yourself occupied.” 

From then on, she would come over and often have dinner with the Naegi family. She was over there more often then not, though she still respected that both her and Makoto needed alone time.

Mukuro had never known how families interacted. The only family she’d ever known was Junko, and it was easy to guess that her sister’s interactions with her were not what someone would consider normal. 

They were all such... lovely people. His dad told the worst, corny jokes, and his mother was clearly the one wearing the pants in the relationship. Komaru was constantly trying to embarrass Makoto in front of Mukuro, which only made the soldier happy.   
\------  
Makoto also introduced her to something called, “personal hobbies,” which was not something she ever had time for in Fenrir or with Junko. 

As Makoto showed her his video game console one afternoon, she was almost perplexed. She had heard of video games, but knew nothing of them.

“So you can just play these simulations of other people for fun? It doesn’t do anything?” Mukuro asked.

“No, it’s just a way to blow off steam and get lost in a story.” Makoto rubbed the back of his head. “There’s all kinds. I have Role-Playing Games, Action-Adventure, Platformers... I even have a First Person Shooter but I’m really bad at them.”

“Oh! I know about FPS,” Mukuro exclaimed. “A lot of the other mercenaries talked about them. Can I try?”

Makoto smiled. “Sure thing.”

Makoto learned that her talent even translated to shooting games. He watched in awe as she began speedrunning the game without even trying. “Mukuro, are you sure you’ve never played this before?”

“Of course not,” she assured him with an even tone. “These gun mechanics are so unrealistic, I would have written to someone about it.” As she killed a monster in the distance, she let out a small, sarcastic laugh. “That gun wouldn’t possibly have such great aim. I have to say though, this is absolutely fascinating.”

Makoto nodded along, watching her eyes light up as she played. He’d have to invest in more shooters for her.  
\------  
“Are you... sure about this?” Mukuro asked nervously as Makoto sat down on a chair, towel draped over his shoulders, in front of a mirror.

“Absolutely,” Makoto nodded. “I trust you.” 

Mukuro nodded silently back and grabbed her scissors. “So just a little trim, right?”

“Right.” 

The Ultimate Soldier set to work on cutting his hair. 

It was not the quickest haircut Makoto Naegi had ever received, but he sat there patiently. Every snip Mukuro made was cold and calculated, and she kept stepping back to make sure she didn’t screw up. She was nervous, and he accepted that. This was her first time, so all he could do was sit quietly and give her encouraging looks. 

When she finished, she gently took the towel off his shoulders. Makoto looked at his slightly shortened hair, and couldn’t help but spring up and hug his girlfriend. “It looks great Mukuro!” 

She returned his hug, feeling like she could cry. She wasn’t sure why though; she was anything but sad.   
\-----  
It had been nearly two months since the Rooftop Tragedy, as the student’s of Hope’s Peak named it, and life was moving on as it is wont to do. But one afternoon, Makoto saw that Mukuro had left class early.

He had an idea why.

After class, he walked away from the building in a new direction, making sure to use his phone not to get lost.

He arrived at a cemetery not too far into town, and made his way towards the back. Mukuro was standing in front of Junko’s grave. Even two months after the incident, fans of Junko’s modeling would still drop large bouquets off frequently. 

Mukuro stood in front of the grave, sniffling at it. She looked over her shoulder, just barely, as Makoto walked up and stood next to her. “Hey. You okay?”

Mukuro shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“You want to talk about it?”

Mukuro smirked. “That’s your solution to everything, Makoto.” 

“Doesn’t it usually work?”

She nodded. “Yeah. It does. Surprisingly.” She shuffled closer to him so that their shoulders were touching. “Lean your head on my shoulder.” 

“Why?” He asked.

“I want to lean my head on your shoulder but you’re shorter than me.”

“O-oh.” He blushed, and did as she asked. She then rested her head on top of his. 

“Earlier today, I was thinking about what game we could play at your house later,” she explained. “And then I started thinking about... other things we could do.”

“Other things?”

“You’re a good kisser. Don’t make me say more than that,” she answered, blushing. “And just... I felt this incredible rush of guilt. And I just remembered... how I was supposed to always be there for Junko. I felt like a disappointment.”

“Mukuro...”

“And even though I knew what she did to me, how she treated me was wrong... I still miss her.” Mukuro sighed. “I still feel like it should have been me.”

“I don’t know if that feeling ever goes away,” Makoto explained. “I’ve read about survivor’s guilt. And I know your feelings about Junko are complicated. I can’t imagine to understand what you’re feeling.” 

“I’m glad you can’t, I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I did,” she replied. “I just always feel bad when I start enjoying myself too much. Like this isn’t the life I was supposed to live.”

“The life you live should be whatever you want it to be,” Makoto replied. “I know that’s an oversimplified answer, but that’s what I believe. I know it’s not that easy for everyone.”

“I know... you’re right though...”

The two stood like that for a while. Mukuro shifted her body to face Makoto and hugged him. “Sorry to drag you out here like this,” She muttered.

“Don’t apologize. It’s okay. Do you want to head back to my house?” Makoto asked. 

She nodded into his shoulder. “Thank you Makoto.”

“For what?”

“For showing me I’m worthy of love.”

He leaned up and kissed one of her freckles. “Any time.” 

In that moment, Mukuro didn't know what her life was going to be like anymore. But, she felt pretty good about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed. I didn't watch the animes so I'm sorry if my characterization isn't perfect. But hey, just chalk it up to AU differences.


End file.
